When the Battle Stands Tall
by Astraea Eos
Summary: No one ever said being a female in the Clash world was easy. It never was for Remi. Through an angsty adventure of painful flashbacks, guiding comrades, accusing fingers, and unexpected events, it gets even harder when a certain person starts to change her remorseless spirit and eventually warms her ice cold heart.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys, Ari here again. If you don't know me, I'm a girl Clasher who loves Clash Royale! Anyways, this fic is going to be a darker and more angsty fic then my other ones, just a little warnin'. I'm planning it to be pretty gory! (LOL) Rated T for now, but might change to M later for extreme violence. This will be set in the Royale universe, obvi. *AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!* it is based off the 2014 movie "When the Game Stands Tall". Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: The Unbeatable Streak

Her hand was on her sword, tracing it's sharp edge with a fingertip. She faced the eight troops expectantly.

"You know the drill."

"Yes, your majesty."

"You understand," she continued, "how much battling means to me. You are to go out into the Arena- and win."

"Yes, your majesty."

"Do you realize what will happen if any troops caused a failure?"

"Yes."

The speaker's red lips curled into a cruel smile. Her slender fingers reached behind her and ghosted over the stone wall. A glowing image appeared under her fingertips. The image formed- so violent, torturous, and tumultuous and unavoidable- sent the eight troops on their knees, weapons slammed in front of them and mercies at breaking point on their lips.

"Yes, your majesty. We understand what will become of us if we fail you." Their voices trembled with fear and submission.

Remi Stane's violet eyes glowed with malice. "Good luck to you, troops. Go save your own selves."

The troops stood up slowly, hands reaching for their weapons again. "We will not fail you." They echoed.

"Good."

Remi's slender hands took their time to pull her red hood over her head. Glaring daggers at the submissive bodies, she walked forward to the doors that would seal the fate of the poor troops.

The wood and gold barriers were thrown open, and a flood of light filled the dark chamber. A massive Arena was stretched before them, a glorious rectangle of grass, and rivers, towers waiting for destruction, stone structures on all four sides to prevent any troop's escape.

Remi turned around so that now she was facing her troops again. She raised her chin, spreading her arms.

"Go and fight. The battle eagerly awaits you."

"FIGHT!"

The still and tense silence was sliced apart with the word. That one syllable word that would decide the future of the anxious warriors of war.

Two gleaming swords were raised, a drum beat, a pair of cries drifting into the chilly morning air.

The Elite Barbarians sprinted forward into the uncertain air, swords lashed at their sides. Under their helmets, their eyes nervously scanned the path ahead of them for the enemy.

A army of seventeen Skeletons was deployed five paces from the Barbarians, their bones clanking noisily as their rushed forward to put an end to the approaching Barbarians.

"ZAP!" One of the Barbarians cried, swiping his sword ahead of him. The the sword sliced apart the Skeleton in front of him, a loud, dry scream ripping from the throat of the Skeleton as his lifeline was snipped in half.

A slender vial filled with an electric blue liquid was slammed down onto the remaining Skeletons, shocking them senseless and dissipating them into nothingness with a loud ZAP.

A pair of booted feet thumped on the ground behind them. A blue cloak clad male joined them, his brunette eyebrows furrowed in concentration. His hands lashed together, friction sizzling between them as he muttered the spell incarnation.

"Huzzah." He muttered. Pulling his hands apart, a glowing fireball expanded between his skilled fingers, glowing with flame and destruction he was going to cause. His eyes scanned the horizon against the rising sun.

"Fireball." He mumbled again, shooting off a blast to an approaching enemy troop. The Valkyrie let out a roar as the fire scorched her skin, sizzling her leather clothing. The Barbarians slashed their swords at the injured enemy, and she weakly swung a hit with her gleaming battle ax as her lifeline steadily deteriorated. Casting another spell in his hands, the Wizard hurled a second fireball at the Valk. Her last scream of agony echoed in his ears as she was gone in a splash of elixir.

A boomstick soon obscured half his vision before waving off to the other side, swinging left and right, left and right. A head with carefully coiffed purple hair smiled at him nervously.

"Good luck, Wizard."

"Good luck, Musketeer." He answered shortly. He turned his attention back to his hands as a third fireball began to form.

He heard the air crank up in heat and radioactivity as an enemy's Fireball as hurled on the approaching group. The quick stepping Barbarians were spared from the blazing heat, but the Wiz and Musk were not as lucky. The Wiz grimaced as he saw his own powers used against him. The blazing heat slammed him and Musk to the ground, and his vision was gone. He knew he was still alive, but barely. Far off, he could hear the Barbarians slicing up one of the enemy towers as a horde of Minions spat poisoned elixir on their unprotected shoulders. The Wiz coughed and coughed as the smoke filled his lungs. He stumbled out of the fiery crater the fireball had created and stumbled into fresh air. His energy returning slightly, he managed to form a fireball between his hands and hurl it at the Minions. The fire enraptured the blue creatures immediately and killed all of them. His cry of victory was cut short as he felt an arrow slice his chest, turning his vision black as he died.

More than an hour later, Remi stood proudly on top of her King's tower, shoving her pink- blonde hair behind her shoulders and fixed her eyes on a departing fireball that would secure her eighty ninth win. Her almost genuine look of satisfaction turned into a smirk of pride as the troops scored the three crown. The victory jingle was blasted over the speakers and confetti burst over the Arena, another win secured for Remi Stane.

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 **Yes, I did rewrite and add to this chapter. I wrote it on Wattpad and copied and pasted it on here, hope it doesn't have those unfixable punctuation errors! I'm aiming for 1K words for every chapter, maybe more. Thanks for reading!**

 **-Ari**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Woohoo! Chapter 2 down. Copying and pasting from Wattpad definitely does help with the grammatical issues, but please excuse the weird spaces, here's an example.**

 **He reached down and**

 **grabbed the rope before swinging it.**

 **I can't get rid of them! I swear to God, this site must be doing this on purpose. Okay! Now that I'm done with my crappy ranting, let's get this chapter over with!**

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"Alyce, you may approach." Remi said, occupied in her work. It was late afternoon, and she was partaking a stay in the King's tower for deck editing before retiring for the day.

The trembling servant approached her master shyly, the grip on her parchment tightening with each step.

"Now, on with the goings of the village. I want to hear the latest bits of news." Remi stated shortly. She reached over with one hand to braid her hair into a side braid, a dazzling pattern of pink and blonde streaks mixed together perfectly.

Alyce shifted slightly, watching the distracted leader sitting up stick straight in her wooden throne. A young girl, barely twelve and already at the mercy of the tempering battle leader. She nervously opened her scroll, cleared her throat, and began to read out in a loud, clear voice.

"A silver chest has been won from the last battle. There is currently one golden chest and two other silver chests in the chest slots. Thirty- two cards are ready for upgrading-"

"I am not interested in any upgrades unless it is for the Princess." Remi cut in.

"Yes, your majesty." Alyce said. "Shall I go on?"

"Yes, go on." Remi turned her attention to her deck organizer laid in front of her.

"...and, the Archers are in need of replacement."

"Really, but why?" Remi drawled. "Let me guess, their targeting has been off lately."

"Yes. That is the reason. They have continually missed targets."

"Bring in those arrow showoffs." Remi ordered. "I'd like to give them a little talking to."

"Yes, your majesty." Alyce said, relieved to be out of Remi's iron gaze. She darted off into a side hallway and headed for the troop barracks.

Meanwhile, Remi slid card after card into the eight available troop slots. Her brows were furrowed in concentration and she was constantly biting her lip.

"Now that the Archers are no longer in use, what should I switch them out with?" She asked. Her fingers hovered over several other cards.

Erica, a stoic redhead, and the messenger that had just arrived answered. "My lady, I believe you should use the Musketeer."

Remi turned toward her with a look of refusal and partial disgust.

"I'm afraid not, Erica. I believe we should use the Spear Goblins. Their attack speed- not health- is what we need."

Erica bowed slightly. "Whatever pleases you, your majesty." She then handed Remi a letter from her bag.

"A battle request."

"-I beg you!"

The whole court stirred and mumbled as the sound of a wailing woman filled the Tower. A villager with her hair askew and a crazed look in her eyes was dragged into the court room by two guards and deposited in front of Remi.

"Yes, what scram story now?" Remi asked, irritated. She was in no mood of dealing with ignorant villagers right now.

"This villager has been caught poking around in your treasury, your majesty."

Remi stood up quickly. "Excuse me?"

"A few minutes ago," the second guard was saying, "we were making our daily rounds around the Arena to make sure everything was going all right. Then we saw her-" he gave the villager a kick with his foot, "poking around in the queen's treasury!"

"I swear! I did no such thing!" The villager woman yelled.

Remi put her hands on her face. "Oh, shut up, you." She mumbled.

"She was filling her pockets with gold and gems before sending signals to the Arena over in the west to come steal too." The first guard added.

Remi calmly reached into her table and unlocked a small drawer with the key around her neck.

The eyes of everyone in the court widened and several people gasped as Remi drew out a small glass vial filled with clear liquid.

"No... Noo noooo!" The villager screamed.

The guards were obliged to pin her down on the cold stone floors so that the accused woman couldn't escape.

Remi walked up to the lady, violet eyes kindled with anger and satisfaction.

"My, how I love to see you struggle." She said in a voice laden with honey and daggers. "Would you like a drop of this to slide down your strangled throat?"

"Noo... please..."

Remi uncorked the bottle and allowed a drop of the liquid to fall from the mouth of it. For a second, the drop hung suspended in the air like a diamond before splashing right into the back of the woman's throat.

"AHHHH!" She screamed. The guards released her as her body was forced into standing position.

"I didn't- I stole from your majesty because of greed. I swear, no!" The woman struggled against the truth serum that forced the truth out of her lungs. "I- I am worthy to be condemned to death for my actions- GOD HELP- mmhhh."

Remi quickly strangled the villager in an iron grip, watching her life slowly vanish from her eyes. Just as the villager was about to pass out from lack of air, Remi released her and shoved her body to one of the guards.

"Three sword blades for her actions." She said without emotion or regret, a steely look flashing across her eyes. "Begone, you ruined thief."

Outside, the sound of three sword blades puncturing the woman was heard.

The first- in her right hand because it stole.

The second in her heart because it allowed her to go there.

And the third in her head for thinking of such a thing.

"Again, what I will do to those who act against me." Remi roared, slamming both fists on the table. "Anyone who dares disobey me will be punished brutally!"

The court fell to their knees in her sight. "Yes, your majesty."

With all that drama over with, Remi finally opened the letter Erica had given her.

Jules Kendall

Has requested a formal match

Good luck, Chief!

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 **Yay! Another 1K words done. The long awaited match will come in the next chapter!Please review! Thank you guys so much. Also excuse Remi for being such an a** (LOL) lately.**

 **-Ari**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I didn't ever expect you be getting pounded for all the grammar mistakes! To be honest I really hate this site, the formatting looks like it hasn't been updated since 1990 and the app for mobile devices is seriously so f*cked up sometimes, and on top of that the stupid grammar errors that appear for absolutely no reason. I proofread my chapters several times before posting and have never encountered mistakes, and yet they pop up in the published content. But I'm here for the community and readers like you! That's the great part.**

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"My lady, the challenger is here." Alyce called softly. Remi raised her eyebrows carefully slid her polished dagger back into its sheath, then stood up for attention. Her position in front of the whole court silenced the awaiting people. "Let us start the pledge."

"The sun rises everyday with a new challenge." Alyce started.

"And I will never fail to accept it."

Remi placed an automatic hand over her heart as she and her troops went over the pledge of the Clashers.

"Through fire and desperation I will never turn away, kneel down, or surrender to the enemy. I will fight with all the vigilance and strength of my ability. The fate of my comrades resides in me and I will take full responsibility. I will never fail to please the gods."

"May the gods be with you!" An ancient voice called from the back.

"May the gods be with us." Everyone echoed.

Everyone was silent as Remi's sharp eyes traveled over them with a hint of amusement in her face. She raised her eyes to the main doors.

"Let the challenger enter."

Two guards pulled open the huge wooden doors, flooding the seemingly dim courtroom with sunlight. A figure wearing a dark red cloak and a gold belt stepped in, head bowed.

"Your majesty, may I present Jules Kendall, the challenger." Alyce announced.

Jules entered and inclined in a bow for a slight moment before speaking. "Your majesty, Remi Stane. One of the most powerful and successful of all the Clashers."

"Welcome." Remi replied shortly. She gestured for the court to be dismissed. There was a slight bustle as the court headed for the main doors. Jules followed Remi back into her office, a small room with a desk and two chairs. Even as they stepped in neither of them took a seat.

"You may sit." Remi pointed at the chair acidly.

Jules faced her, unmoving. "I will not indulge in the pleasure of sitting while you stand."

Remi gave a careless shrug. "Suit yourself." She stayed unmoving, facing her challenger with a face of contempt, one eyebrow raised and arms crossed over her chest.

Jules' eyes traveled down her body. Her pink- blonde hair was carefully styled so that it hung down her back in a wild yet beautiful braid. Every strand was puffed out or tucked in perfectly and managed to look perfectly natural. Long bangs had been swept out  
of her face, where a pair of violet eyes, a hooked nose, and firm pink lips were set. Her cheekbones highlighted, eyelashes long, a barely noticeable spray of freckles dotting the top of her hooked nose. She must have been at least five ten. Her shoulders  
were broad and held back pridefully, strong arms tucked in front of her chest in a commanding manner. A rather noticeable bust led to a perfectly curved waist and rounded off to impressively toned hips and legs. Remi was not cute or pretty at all. She was flat out, bemusingly gorgeous.

Jules let out a chuckle. "I do wonder if your beauty surpasses others I have seen elsewhere, prideful one."

Remi laughed a dry, crackling laugh that would make the hairs of everyone present stand on end. "Fool, you dare to compare any other to me, do you."

"I believe I do, Remi."

Remi smiled, but it was not at all a welcoming smile. It was one full of malice and pride. "The gods only award the brave and fearless, the proud and willing."

Jules' eyes were barely visible from underneath the hem of the dark red cloak, but they narrowed. "You are bold and wise beyond your seventeen years," the reply echoed throughout the room, "yet you speak with so much arrogance and pride."

"You do not flatter me, Jules." Remi narrowed her violet eyes back at the cloaked figure. "You seem to only seek my weakness and prey on my troubles, which I have none of."

Jules studied her for a moment longer before giving a deep nod. "I respect you, Remi Stane. May the gods bless you a thousand fold." Jules got down on one knee and took Remi's hand and pressed a kiss to it, as formally as possible.

"You truly know who I am, Remi, don't you?" He spoke from his kneeled position, lifting his head to see her face.

"Jules Drake Kendall, my challenger. Unknown male from the west."

"You have yet so much to learn about me, Remi."

"You have not even fully revealed yourself to me, Jules." Remi said.

Jules' hands brushed past dark red folds of the cloak before reaching to pull back the hood. It was almost agonizing as Remi watched for Jules' face to be revealed, her eyes rising to meet his.

The hood was completely pulled back and Remi was instantly faced with a head of short jet black hair carefully brushed and pushed back. On a canvas of tan skin a pair of deep blue- gray eyes bored right into hers. A well shaped face wrought with the memoriesof  
past battles and hardships, and the lips. Smooth, sweet, soft. Muscled shoulders and arms hidden behind a shirt became visible as the cloak slid further down.

Jules stood there silently as he let Remi look at him. She inevitably traced her hands down his chest and hips before coming back up to settle on his shoulders. The whole time she did not break her gaze with him.

"May I tell you, Jules, that you are very attractive?" Remi purred softly, making eye contact with him again. "Yet, good looks have never succeeded to woo me."

"Is that true?" A smirk appeared on Jules' face as Remi stepped in closer.

"For my whole life." Remi replied. She was standing so close to him he could smell her. The distinct smell of the perfumed soap the royals used accompanied by the nearly surprising smell of foraged metal filled his nostrils.

He smiled at her, not moving his head at all for they were the exact same height. Yet she stepped away before he could fully comprehend a look of emotion from her.

She nodded at him. "Thank you, Jules."

"Good luck in our battle, Remi."

She gave him an honest glare. " I always win."

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 **Another 1K words! So... I delayed the battle for one more chapter. I've decided to focus on them meeting each other first, I thought that was crucial. How did I do at hiding Jules' gender in the beginning? Please review in the comments to let me know how I did. Again excuse me if you see punctuation/grammar errors, I did not make them. Thanks!**

 **-Ari**


	4. Chapter 4

**At last- the long awaited battle! Another 1K words of battle. Enjoy!**

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The battle was going her way. The victory just seconds away.

The hog leapt over the river deftly and headed for the right tower, the rider's hammer raised. Two elite barbarians followed the galloping beast, swords raised and cries of victory tearing from their throats. The tower princess fired off arrow after arrow, yet the hog rider smashed each one aside and continued his pursuit on the tower.

The battle had been going well. Remi had already smashed Jules's left tower easily and was now boring down on his right. She glanced up to his seat on the deck above, expecting him to be wringing his hands in despair or crying out in hopelessness as her past opponents had. Instead, as he sat on his throne of legendary rock, his face remained emotionless, arms crossed on his chest. Yet, a look of secrecy and slyness half hidden by a mask of emotionless face slightly worried her. His face was like of one who was about to pull a prank. She quickly shook off the thought and focused on the battle again. He had countered all three troops with an army of skeletons, and was preparing to do a push.

Remi had to think fast. She dropped a zap on the remaining skeletons and hurled off a goblin barrel to the tower. In a flurry of intense pressure she glanced up again at Jules.

She knew that look on his face. A smirk of victory she hadn't seen in a long time. A very long time.

Jules dropped a giant at the bridge, and Remi instinctively raised a minion horde to defend, but Jules quickly zapped the minions to nothingness. All her attention went into defending her right tower from the giant. She nervously dropped elite barbs on the approaching giant, and with a jolt realized her elixir was out.

A clunk of a metal shovel brought her back to attention. Her king tower was being bombarded. A split second of pure silence had opened her up prone to the opponent. She had barely time to react before two mirrored goblin barrels were hurled toward her king tower, followed by a miner burrowing its way underground.

She cursed, the beginnings of panic reaching the conscious light of her mind for the first time as the barrels smashed at the feet of the tower. Three, than six green goblins appeared out of the rubble, mercilessly driving their pointed daggers into the helpless king's tower over and over again. The miner popped out of the ground and shoved its shovel straight at the king's head. Remi panicked as she saw her elixir bar. It was still drained from her push! She had nothing to defend her tower with. In desperation, her eyes flicked upwards toward Jules's unintentionally, and found him staring straight at her with a look of satisfaction and victory in his face.

What happened next happened so quickly, Remi could have stood there all day trying to analyze it.

The king tower's health bar deteriorated so quickly- and, was gone. In went up in an explosion of charred wood and flames as the victory jingle played. But for the city time, it wasn't playing for her. Jules was being carried down from his throne by his fellow troops, all of them cheering and celebrating his victory.

Dazed, she realized something. She had lost.

"I figured out your deck, Remi," Jules called over the screaming crowds. "The only thing I did, was to counter it."

She should have felt broken. Hurt. Furious. Infuriated. But she didn't.

Her mind was a gray canvas of quiet mutterings as she slowly processed the scene. Maybe it had been too long since she'd last lost. Maybe it was because she hadn't ever lost before.

She just felt empty and dazed.

She faced the smirking jet black, her eyes unwilling to meet his.

"I beat you." Jules remarked acidly.

Remi was pinned against the wall. Jules's wall. When he had summoned her after the battle to him, she had no choice to comply or face major disapproval. And now, she was pinned between the male and his bedroom wall, intricate slabs of rough wood hammered in with jagged nails.

Remi had never felt more helpless. She had never felt that before. She was always prideful, serious, and unbending. Never scared. Never helpless. Her hand reaching out from behind her and brushed over a nail in the wall. She bit back a hiss of pain as a second nail dragged along the back of her leg as Jules pressed in closer. A third threatened to penetrate her neck as she leaned her head back.

"I can hardly believe it myself." Jules continued, not slacking at his persona whatsoever. "I beat the most successful, prideful, and worthless girl in all of the Clash world."

"I am not-" Remi was cut off when a hand slid over her mouth, muffling all sound. Jules smirked again, enjoying all the dominance he had over the upset girl.

"Remi Stane, just seventeen years old. Already treating her Arena with the air of a tyrant and the uprightness of a prideful god himself. And she was finally defeated." His arm neared her upper thigh.

Remi loosened a hand and raised it to slap him across her face. As her hand made contact with his face, he thrust his hand forward, forcing the poking nail straight into the back of her leg. Remi hissed in pain as the metal punctured her skin.

Finally she managed to gather all her steely resolve and yank herself off the wall. Panting, glaring, and with blood dripping down the back of her leg, she glared menacingly at Jules.

"Just because you beat me once doesn't mean-" she gasped in pain before continuing, "I can't beat you in the future. For now, I accept my defeat."

The words shocked the two of them. Remi would never in her life think she would ever, ever, bow at an enemy's feet. But that was what she was doing now. And she didn't know, she was falling for him, too...

Falling for her enemy?

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 **Welllllll... Serves Remi right, eh? Finally that a** gets a taste of her own medicine! Jk jk... Also, this is getting romanceyyyyyyy (lol) This fic is fun to write, but those grammar/spacing issues... *groan* Anyways, if you guys have ideas for this story, please let me know! I'd like to hear your advice. Thanks for reading!**

 **-Ari**


	5. Chapter 5

**So... Recently I've been having this idea of doing fanart of Jules and Remi. I'm not much of an artist myself, so if anyone's interested in doing character development physically for these two characters that would be amazing! If you're interested, please PM or comment. Also a funny thought- Remi and Jules are the exact same height- at 5"10- which means if Remi wore heeled boots she'd be taller than him! I wonder how Jules would take that!**

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 _Shing._

The night sky, illuminated by a slender crest of a silver moon and sprinkled with faint stars hung above like a blanket. All was still and nightly quiet, save for the sound of metal against rock.

 _Shing._

A pair of ominous violet eyes scanned the length of the sword. Four feet of wickedly gleaming Imperial gold and a dragon skin wrapped double hilt- just waiting to impale a victim, to plunge through them and ravage their flesh...

 _Shing._

And leave them begging for mercy... Or maybe just a taste of death. She glided her fingers carefully over the sharp blade, her famous smirk of evil growing on her lips. Hellfire.

 _Shing._

She remembered, in her early days when she was still training in the rough barracks- the prison like training academy that literally tortured inmates with hard work and grueling military tasks- that turned them from soft, humorous humans to iron sighted, emotionless warriors. The first place where she had actually injured someone. Not just a little bump or bruise, but a open slash of blood and gore...

The one who ever dared to mock her. The one who took her gender and lowly position in life and used it as a key of vengeance against her. The one who saw her as prey while he was the predator. That idiot of a boy, Marco. She remembered that explicit moment he had gained on her when she was just thirteen years old- forging a metal weapon by hammering metal pieces on an iron anvil. She heard him approach but ceased to acknowledge his presence. She refused to be a victim of his berating trounces ever again. Each memory of his torturous annihilations ran across her mind as he came closer. A slight trace of fear crossed her mind, but was quickly smashed by pure vengeance. But this time, she had been prepared. What he didn't know was she was holding a weapon. Hellfire. Freshly forged from the miner forges and still smoking with heat, a promising hiss released from the scorching metal as Remi had fearlessly pressed a finger against the red hot blade.

She had simply sidestepped his first punch, swung around on the unprepared boy, and launched the sword in a linear direction. A scream of agony and the sound of stomach being slashed open was a rewarding sound to her eager ears- the twenty lashes, her commander's diatribe of violence screamed at her while she was bound to the chair- wrists tied with rough rope and shoulders shoved upwards as he screamed into her face and Marco's yells of revenge did absolutely nothing to change her resolve.

A whinny and a stamping of impatient hooves snapped her out of her bloody fantasy.

"Azure!" Remi called, sheathing her sword and swiftly leaping off the boulder. "Over here!" Upon hearing his name, the stallion faithfully trotted up to Remi's side, tossing his gallant head high into the air. Remi mounted the stallion silently, tucking her pouch into the inner pocket of the saddle. Urging Azure on with a command, they trotted off into the silver of the night.

A wasteland of untrodden green- silver grass contrasted with the deep cobalt sky greeted them- Departed's Acreage. The prairie of silvery grass smelled deeply of enchanted nightlock and a dash of spirited cerulean mint. Remi inhaled deeply with a sigh. She urged Azure a few steps to the left, and as the stallion trotted along peacefully, Remi lifted her hands to the sky and whispered the incarnation. " _Videtur, tractus autem stellae_."

Immediately, a barely visible ladder of purely woven starlight suspended straight from a grandiose puff of cirrus cloud above came into focus- a wispy mist of entwined silver fibers amalgamated with golden droplets of stars and studs of fire washed astrological gems.

When they had approached the magical ladder, Remi dismounted Azure and walked up to the ladder. She stepped back a few steps and took a running start- springing up onto the seventh rung of woven starlight with ease. The fibers of silver felt smooth and cool under her fingers as she ascended to the sky. As the ground drew farther and farther away, the gentle breezes turning into harsh puffs of wind. The ladder lurched and swayed back and forth in the forbidding winds, but Remi pressed on. She eventually reached the last rung of the ladder and flung herself onto the soft bed of cloud.

She sat there for a few minutes, tracing and retracing her finger along the blade of Hellfire, waiting. When the whoosh of air hit her and a translucent being landed next to her on the cloud, she did not even flinch.

"So, as I heard, you lost a battle."

"Will you not even greet me properly, Freydis Elsner?" Remi replied sharply, turning to face her. Freydis was Remi's past comrade and ally from her early days in the barracks.

The summoned apparition chuckled softly to herself. "Remi Stane, the one with the envied beauty and worsted temper."

Ignoring Freydis's previous comment, Remi continued. "I summoned you for a reason, Frey."

"Did that have to involve awakening me in the middle of the night, disturbing my much needed rest to hear you rant?"

"I summoned you here for advice."

"Like I would give you any?" Freydis asked in mock arrogance, tossing her head of short raven curls as her envied trichromacy eyes sparkled.

Remi glared at her. "Give me the best advice to beat that bastard Jules. For I will never peacefully rest until he is defeated."

"You want me to design a potion or revenge tactic."

"Anything. Anything!"

Freydis crossed her arms, rising to her feet. "It is a good thing you came to ask Freydis the Sorceress, then."

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 **Please review! Anything is appreciated. If any mistakes show up, I am sorry! Also I found the Latin definition for "Appear, ladder of stars" from Google translate. I don't know Latin enough, I better crack open my books again! If it's wrong, let me know the correct translation.**

 **Definition of videtur, tractus autem stellae: _Appear, ladder of stars_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Baaaaaack! After a long(ish) break from writing, I am back on the grind with Remi and her action tale of angst. Once again, I am on the lookout for reviews/story ideas/tips/constructive criticism. I know there are you readers hiding in the comment section! Hehe. Anyways- may I present the next chapter!**

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"So... How did he beat you, exactly?"

Remi stared stoically into the sky as she replied. "I was never completely sure. His battle tactics were similar to those used among me before- a long pause that let me relax before dropping a huge push of troops. I always defended them perfectly before. Yet this time..." Her voice drifted off as she thought.

"Go on," Freydis urged, running her fingers through her short curls.

"I looked up at him out of some strange impulse, and I lost focus." Remi continued. "It was the strangest thing I've ever felt. My battle reflexes and other thoughts just melted together in a hapless whirl of thought."

"And that happened... After you looked at him?"

"It was like I was in a trance, almost. I kept having strange yet strong impulses to keep glancing at him. And every time I did, I lost more and more of my focus."

Freydis frowned as she thought. Even having the four dimensioned mind of a sorceress, she was still bound to run into dead ends of thought sometimes. After a minute or two of thinking, she came to a conclusion.

"I think he might have used some kind of magic on you. Like charmspeak, but visually." Freydis concluded, pleased with herself. "He might have set a spell, or some potion of some sort invisible to others and the only one affected was to be his chosen target- in that case, _you_."

Remi frowned. She shook out her pink blonde locks as if that would help her comprehend the situation. Of course, spells like lighting, freeze, poison, rage, and zap were legally used in the battle all the time, yet until three years ago there had been black market spells secretly sold to bewitch your opponent into letting you win the battle or falling into submission. Yet the gods had themselves intervened and put a stop to it, as seeing it was unfair.

"It couldn't have been those black market spells." Remi objected. "The symptoms of the black market products were vastly different from mine. All I did was lose focus, not fall into his submission."

"I see." Freydis said. Then she stood up. "I will research this and report to you my findings in three days' time. Good night, my friend."

"You are not my friend. Simply a comrade." Remi corrected coldly.

"All right, my comrade."

* * *

"ALL TROOPS UP!"

The early morning air seared the sleep- fogged minds of the troops as they shuffled out of their barracks and into the morning air. Remi, with her hair tied back in a perfect ponytail and her uniform spotless and clean, was waiting for them. The troops shuffled into their usual morning roll call, still yawning and rubbing sleep from their eyes. Once settled, Remi strutted about, her eyes scanning them like unavoidable radars.

"All present?"

"All present." They responded. The entire collection of cards, ranging from the archers to the witch to the ice wizard awaited her command nervously.

"My current deck, come forward."

The elite barbarians, spear goblins, minion horde, princess, giant, and wizard came forward, the wizard holding two vials in his hands. The broad one was filled with pulsing fireball and the slender one was filled with lightning.

Remi glared at them for a full thirty seconds before talking. "You troops disappointed me yesterday. After what happened, I believe I shall never use these cards again if something like this happens."

"We tried our hardest!" A spear goblin retorted quite hastily. He tucked a stray spear back into his pack. Remi turned on him quickly. "Excuse me?"

"We followed your every command and never faltered!"

"Be reminded, spear goblin-" Remi replied icily, "that I just picked your card for one reason- attacking speed. The musketeer would gladly take your place."

"I apologize, your majesty!"

"Some say losing is up to fate," Remi said. "But I believe it has to do with trying. We simply were not trying hard enough."

"Yes, your majesty."

"And for that reason, you will train as hard as you can today. Training battles are at four in the afternoon today."

A brand new archer trembled at the front of the lines as Remi's steel gaze passed over her.

"And you, archer- are not exempt from attacking." Remi reminded her sternly. "The only way to overcome your fears is to face them." For a second, Remi felt almost compassionate, for the archer reminded her of an earlier memory...

A moment of silence was held as the morning announcement sank in. Then Remi broke it by clapping her hands. "All troops to the dining halls and washing rooms immediately. We have a long day of training ahead of us."

* * *

Later that morning, a knock on Remi's door faintly surprised her. She had been scribbling away madly on her desk about some trade issue and arena remodel. Her hair slightly tousled and cheeks flushed, she answered the door.

Alyce gave a bow. "Your majesty, I bear urgent news.

"Come in." Remi replied drily, returning to her desk. She stuck the feather quill back into the ink pot and managed to tuck some of the scattered papers into a pile as Alyce walked in.

"What do you have?" Remi greeted icily as soon as the servant had stepped inside her office.

"Very urgent news."

"Go on, then." She continued, not taking her eyes off the paperwork. She redipped her quill in ink and continued.

Alyce's calm smile disappeared, and a serious look replaced it. "Just this morning, a neighboring arena was raided unexpectedly. Several troops were kidnapped, treasuries looted, arenas destroyed. And apparently, they are holding you accountable."

Remi whipped around to face her, knocking over the ink pot in the process. Black ink soaked the letter she had been working on. "Excuse me?!"!

"And not to shock you, you're majesty- but the victim claims his name to be Jules Drake Kendall."

* * *

 **1K down on typed ink! It looks like some drama is heating up, with Remi right smack in the spotlight! I am currently updating this along with a few other fics, so updates may not be as frequent, I apologize! Aaannndddd... PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**1K words stocked brim full of drama. Thank you for all your reviews! They are really encouraging. Enjoy!**

* * *

JULES!"

"Yes?"

"You dare accuse me of something I never did?" Remi was practically sprinting up the hill to meet him where he and a few builders and archers had been feathering arrows for use- neat piles of shafts, arrowheads, nocks, and fletchings all assembled neatly on the crafting table. "You don't even have proof!"

Jules tensed as the blonde advanced on him, her eyes alight with anger. Gripping a half finished arrow in one hand, he steeled his resolve and turned toward her. "I know what you did, Remi. Stop denying it."

"I did no such thing, you idiot." Remi snarled, stepping right up to Jules. "Do you think I would ever risk my reputation, or my life- just to pull some stupid prank on someone like you?"

"It seemed likely, Remi." He turned around to place the half finished arrow back onto the table.

Remi glared at him, still fuming with anger. "What makes you think I did it? I! Are you simply looking for a reason to destroy my reputation?"

"Remi-"

"I know what you want. You had defeated me in the last battle- the first battle I'd ever lost, then looked for ways to slowly destroy my sanity, right?"

Jules took a slow glance to the builders and archers assembling the arrows, than calmly turned back to her. "I'd like to show you something."

The whole time he showed her the destroyed arenas, looted bases, and stolen treasuries, Remi showed no signs of resolve or sympathy.

"You still blame this on me, do you?"

"It is not completely confirmed that you did it!" Jules's voice was rising to a pitch. "Yet, you are the prime suspect because you were the only leader missing from their base late last night."

Remi stepped up until they were nose to nose, her violet eyes piercing right into Jules' deep blue ones. "It is useless trying to reason with you. But I will tell you this: I had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to you. Nor do I care." Shooting him an infuriated face, Remi went back to her base without another word.

* * *

"...and as conclusion, your majesty,- our trophy count as gone up by twenty nine trophies. If we attack once more, we will be promoted to Hog Mountain!" Her court leader eagerly announced, pulling down the stats chart for her to see.

Remi laced her fingers together as she smiled a cold smile. "Well done. We will battle again this afternoon. Prepare the troops." She pushed aside a folder of paperwork and gestured for on of her servants to take it away. The daily court was over.

As the rest of court began to disband, an older man named Nero raised his hand for a question. When Remi nodded her head at him, he spoke. "Will you do a rematch against Jules?"

A tense silence hung over the court as everyone stopped what they were doing to hear Remi's response- who considered her situation almost fearfully.

"Nero, that is not an appropriate subject currently." Alyce spoke from her place next to Remi.  
Remi felt grateful for Alyce for sparing her a questionable situation. As Alyce looked over at her, she gave her a nod.

"Nero- you forgot to send out a troop request for elite barbarians. I am looking to upgrade them to level eleven by tommorow." Bending down quickly, Nero opened the drawer on his desk that contained the request scripts and began to write one out.

"Your majesty, is it true that you looted Jules's treasuries and destroyed his base as revenge?" Another voice piped up.

Remi's lips were set in a firm line. "I did no such thing. The whole thing is a hoax and all of you are foolish enough to believe it."

* * *

The glinting swords collided once more as the pair dueled. Remi, with her eyes smoldering with the intensity of the match as her battle comrade Luke swiped his sword at her again, his white blonde hair contrasting with the gleaming swords.

Luke Hawking was her war comrade from the barracks. He had first taught her to forge weapons and master them with the wisdom and vigilance of a barbarian king. Although the boy was barely fifteen and small for his age, he was one of the fastest and most intelligent people Remi had ever met- and without a doubt the best weapon handler she had ever known. Handed a complicated and difficult X-bow or eagle artillery proved easy for Luke. He would easily decipher each part, pointing out the characteristics and uses of each part, how they operated together, and why the name came about in usually two seconds flat.

"Remi, you've got to keep your elbows in." He chided as he swiped the blade at her again. "You're practicing that habit of yours again." He parried her next strike and twisted her sword down.

"Trying..." Remi gritted her teeth. She swiped away sweat from her forehead. All of a sudden, she completely lost her focus for a second and that was all it took- Luke's blade slammed right onto her exposed chest.

"AHH!" Remi dropped her sword, stumbling back a few steps as the pain spread through her chest as she fell on the grass, panting. In an instant, Luke was right beside her, propping her up on an elbow.

"Does it hurt _that_ bad?" He asked.

Remi grimaced, turning her head to the side. "I-I've felt worse. I'm a right." She got to her feet but continued clutching her chest.

Luke was shaking his head at her. "You always blocked that move so smoothly and precisely every time." He said wondrously. "It was like you lost your focus."

"I did." Remi looked up, almost surprised. "I did."

Luke hurried over to his backpack and pulled out a roll of gauze, worry all over his face. "Are you sure you're all right?" He asked again, handing the bandage to Remi.

"I told you," Remi snapped, "I'm fine! I'm going to head back to my base." She turned her head to the path back to her base. It was a twenty minute walk back.

"All right, all right." Luke said. "I'll see you around, okay?"

* * *

Remi stumbled along the trail back to her base, the pain in her chest unfading and present. She started to wonder if she had accidentally snapped a rib or two. A fresh jolt of pain burst up her rib cage and Remi almost fell to the ground in agony. When the pain receded, she got back to her feet and continued on her way.

By then, the sun was setting and the night was rapidly approaching. Remi was used to traveling at night -in the woods all alone, but the pain made it hard.

The smooth sandy path suddenly made way rocky soil and uneven gravel and the sky grew steadily darker. She knew she was nearing her base when her foot caught in a pothole. In a second she was flung on the uneven rock, and her head collided with a sharp erectile of gravel. Now with pain coursing though her chest, head, and her entire body, Remi did the only thing left- she passed out cold.

But not before she felt a pair of strong arms scoop her up like a limp rag doll and carry her away.

* * *

 **If you guys are wondering what "base" I'm talking about, it's like a village base from Clash of Clans. I'm making this fic kind of a crossover of CoC and CR- my two fave games! Also, I adapted the "sandy path" from the base graphics.  
Luke Hawking is most likely the second to last OC to appear in this fic- there are 5 so far- Remi, Jules, Alyce, Freydis, and now Luke- who is the chill, humorous dude this fic is highly missing. I'm planning to add one more OC after him to complete the squad. Review and I will see you guys next time!**

 **-Ari**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is purely Remi and Jules "bonding". I'm speeding the relationship up, it can't be dragging hate forever, right? Starting now, I will be speeding things up! Please review and thanks for reading!**

* * *

The sound of metal tools spilling on wood floor roused her to reality. A short figure wearing a brown vest and pants stood facing away from her, cursing as he shoved tools back into a leather work bag. She was in a small wooden building with a simple leather hinged door and a rough pallet serving as a bed.

Remi pushed herself up to siting position as she rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the dim light of the fire. The previous events came rushing to her and she automatically stared down at her chest. Her shirt had obviously been lifted, for just above her breast was a layer of bandages. She pressed a finger to her wounds and withdrew it with a hiss of pain.

The figure standing by the fire turned around at the noise. He was quite short, with slicked back brown hair and a goofy looking face. In his right hand he held a large hammer, and in the other a fireplace poker.

"Morning, miss. Did you rest well?"

"What happened to me?" Remi demanded immediately, sitting up to face the builder. Her hair was a mess, falling around her shoulders untidily and she was wearing a thin robe of cotton. Her clothes from last night were in a neat pile by the pallet.

"Can't say exactly. I just came by here to do my usual stuff. You know, poke the fires, tidy the huts, make food, the like."

"Where am I?" Remi attempted to stand up, clutching her chest. She stood up shakily and attempted to stagger to the door, clutching the rough blanket she was covered with across her shoulders. A flash of pain erupted through her ankle and she fell back onto the pallet again, groaning.

"Miss, I think your ankle might be smashed, too." The builder pointed out.

"WHERE AM I?" Remi screamed in agony.

"Master Jules's village, of course. Why are you so surprised-"

"Jules?" She stared at him incredulously, a lock of hair falling over her face.

He glanced at her, zipping up his work bag. "Are you feeling all right, miss?"

"She broke a rib in a fight yesterday, Karl. I wouldn't be fine if I was her." A deeper voice came from the door.

The two of them turned to face the door as Jules approached.

He turned to Karl first. "I'd like a word with Remi alone, please."

"I was just about leaving, master." Karl chirped. He grabbed his belongings and went out quickly. Remi wished he would have stayed for the sole purpose she wouldn't have to face Jules alone.

"You have a broken rib and sprained ankle." He said plainly, kneeling beside her pallet.

Remi turned her face to the side so he couldn't see her. A moment later, she responded. "Why did you help me?"

"I wasn't going to leave you out there like that, was I."

"I shouldn't even be talking to you."

"Do you want me to leave, then?"

Her eyes closed, only to open a second later to lock with his. "Tell me exactly what happened."

He shrugged casually, sitting beside the pallet. "Typical. A girl practically groaning for help was passed out next to my village. I took her in even though she was my greatest enemy. Her wounds were bad, I took care of them."

Remi's hands flew up to her chest but she still looked unsurprised.  
"Your hands touched and eyes seen were no one has touched or seen of me before."

"I did only what I needed to do. Nothing else. And I am fully aware, Remi, that if you had been conscious you would have hit me so hard I would have bruises all over my body."

Remi actually smiled. "Actually, in that pain I wouldn't have been able to do anything. That's not the first time I've been in pain like that."

A second of silence stretched between them as a stick of wood in the fire snapped and a blaze of sparks flew upwards. Jules reached into his pocket and pulled out a squarish glass spell bottle filled with a glowing golden liquid. He pushed it into her hand.  
"Put the heal spell on your wounds. They should heal immediately." He began to stand up.

Remi's eyes settled on the bottle suspiciously. "We never got to use heal spells in the barracks. It was always the mantra of 'fight, get hurt, take months to heal, repeat'. Our wounds were symbols of glory."

"I think you'd like to try it first, then." He continued prodding the bottle at her.

"You do it."

Jules stared at Remi, surprised out of his mind. " _What_?"

Remi gritted her teeth. "I'm will not reduce myself to a helpless coward desperate in search of relief. I, in all my life will never touch a healing for as long as I live."

"I admire your strength, but frown upon your unbreakable pride." Jules opened the bottle and poured a small amount on his hand. He slid closer to Remi and let a few drops of the magical liquid drop on her sprained ankle.

The pain vanished immediately and Remi continued to watch Jules, her eyes nearly daring him to do the next step. His jet black hair turned a shade lighter from the firelight as he turned his attention back to the bottle.

"I'm going to take off your chest bandages, alright?" Jules said softly. His hands drew up her shirt and carefully began to unravel the soiled bandage from her body. Once removed, he smeared the rest of the heal on her chest, careful to touch her mid sternum only and nothing else. The effect he caused was almost comforting to Remi. She sighed in relief as the pain completely vanished from her chest.

Jules quickly closed the bottle lid. "I felt I should let you use this." He said. "Before I challenged you to the battle, I went to a powerful sorcerer and asked for a potent spell that would secure my win from you. I wanted to catch your attention. As someone who was actually equal in power with you instead of weaker- but with one downfall the sorcerer warned me of."

Remi stayed emotionless, staring at him. "Tell me."

"The victim- you, was supposed to fall in love with me on the first hour. A chemical, fake, delusional, and very temporary love. And you didn't."

"I have never loved anyone, Jules, and you know that." Remi replied softly. "I never will." She stood to leave.

"Remi-"

He was silence when Remi abruptly turned around and put her arms around him, encasing him in a lukewarm hug purely out of thankfullyness, nothing else.

"Thank you. For healing me." She whispered, pulling away already. "Now, _shut up._ " She gave him a nod and then walked out into the bright morning light.

* * *

 **A quote from another fic I found applicable:**

 ** _You know what I call that? Progress. [in the relationship] -_ Jump Into The Fog, Eliza Darling**

 **-Ari**


	9. Chapter 9

**Now that I think of it, I should have introduced Luke earlier. He is clearly the only person Remi is fully comfortable being around with and one hundred percent trustworthy. This chapter focuses on them mainly bonding, and a brooding revelation of what will happen _very_ soon.**

* * *

The sound of approaching footsteps roused the white-blonde boy, who was nestled between two tree branches and whittling away at a flute of wood. His eyes lit with intrigued interest as he realized who was approaching. Remi, with her hair tied back in two tight braids, wearing a curve-hugging navy blue suit and no sign of pain or injury on her at all. Her stride in her tall leather boots was equal and straight, no sign of the injuries she had sustained yesterday.

"Wow! You bounce back fast!" Luke excitingly greeted her, waving. "Here to fight?" He nudged his head toward the silent and empty barracks in front of them. "I cleared this space to do some experiments on the animals I found. I think I made the right potion to turn a horse into a ferret."

Remi nodded. "My trial for that crime is tomorrow, whether I did it- or want to go or not. So, I'm going to do the only thing I can do to get my mind off it- fight. You, in particular." She reached into her pocket and brought out five gold coins. "Whoever wins this fight wins the money."

Luke grinned, setting down the wood he was whittling and jumping gracefully from the tree to the ground in one smooth leap. He walked up to Remi with his hands on his hips. Even with his head barely clearing Remi's shoulder, he managed to look at her full in the face. "You ready to be beat up, Stane?"

"Ready as you, Hawking." She replied confidently, taking off her jacket..

They spaced themselves equally on the stretch of grass in front of the barracks. Suddenly, he paused and looked at her. "Will you lose focus like yesterday? I don't want to hurt-"

"I wasn't that hurt, I was fine. And that was yesterday." Remi snapped impatiently. She raised her arms and curled her fists, ready to throw the first punch.

Making eye contact with her, Luke's humorous profile disappeared as he sank into what Remi called 'attacking mode'. His eyes narrowed and his lips curled into a firm line. Remi saw that face when he fought against enemies in the Arena, his genius decks either winning over or succumbing to the enemy as the cards were played. He darted forward and aimed a punch at her chest while faking a kick to her left shin. Turning all the way around, he picked up his other leg and did a roundhouse back kick to her head. Remi quickly put her hand up to block the kick and twisted herself around, aiming a sharp blow to the boy's inner leg. Off balance, Luke stumbled before falling. He jumped up quickly and began an assault of punches and jabs at her, sweat gathering at his brow.

Minutes of intense fighting later, no one was succumbing to the other. Both were carefully and powerfully trained in the barracks and knew how to counter every move. Seeing his exhausted state, Remi recalled a particular takedown move she had learned from the self defense classes at the barracks. She grabbed his punching hand and twisted it against his chest, then with her other arm wrapped around his shoulders she forced him on his knees before aiming a well placed knee kick on his stomach.

The effect that move had caused on Luke was satisfying. He collapsed on the grass, arms up in defeat and eyes closed in exhaustion. "Y-you win, Remi."

"That was a good fight, Luke." Remi leaned down to pat his sweat dripping hair. She was smiling at him, a smile no one else ever saw but him.

A few seconds later, his startling gray eyes opened again. "You get your coins, but drinks are on me."

She hadn't expected to drink today, but the stress of life needed to be washed away, even for a few hours. When Luke meant drinks, he was thinking a mug of the hog rider's cider. Remi was thinking of hard liquor. And when they had settled at the Town Hall Bar there was no going back.

* * *

"I'll have a bottle of Amontillado and a mug of cider."

The bartender looked lazily over the counter from where she was plucking the string on her bow, a lock of her bright pink hair falling over one eye. She was clearly a hired archer from the Arena. "How old 're you, kiddo?"

"Fifteen." Luke replied warily, looking at Remi for help.

"Too young for liquor, eh?" The archer smirked to herself. "Ah well. If yah feel like breakin' the rules, go for it." She turned around to get their drinks.

"I'm having the cider, not the Amon. She is." Luke pointed at Remi.

"How old 're you, miss?" The bartender asked, filling a mug with cider.

"Seventeen, going on eighteen."

"I thought the legal drinkin' age was twenty one." The barista rolled her eyes, setting both drinks on the counter. "Looks like everyone's breakin' the rules these days!"

Taking their drinks, the pair sat down at an empty table. The bar was mostly empty save for a few troops that were scattered around the bar. Remi looked around warily before sitting down next to Luke.

"Something's not right." She said, eyeing a nearby group of barbarians that kept stealing glances at them.

"When was the last time something actually went right?" Luke rolled his eyes, taking a sip of the cider.

"Probably just worried about tomorrow." Remi fingered the end of her braid. "You know the punishment for betraying a fellow leader by mass looting is punishable by death?"

Luke smiled at her. "Jules isn't a fellow leader. Isn't he your enemy? After all, he beat you in that battle"

Remi was about to agree but a twinge of disagreement stopped that. "H-he can be fair, sometimes." She said, feeling distracted for a sudden.

Luke gave her a puzzled look.

"What's worse is that I did not even do it." Remi took a swig of her Amon before continuing. "Unfortunately, the blame was pinned on me because I was the one missing from my village that night."

"Where were you?"

"My secret hiding place in the clouds. I guard that location with all I have. After it being kept secret for so many years..."

"I know."

Meanwhile, the bartender watched the pair interact with narrowed eyes. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something was not right. Deciding to intervene, she reached into an alcove and pulled out a small bottle filled with purple liquid. Time to stir up some excitement.

* * *

 **A/N: After curled up on my couch all day (almost) playing around with the new update in COC, I finally sat up and wrote more of this story. This chapter went from a physical fight between Jules and Remi to Remi getting full on drunk and doing something she shouldn't have to Remi going out of control of her anger and beating up Luke. After debating with myself for days, this is the final product! Ahh, the work of a writer...**


	10. Chapter 10

**NOTE: If you want to review this story, please sign in with your account. I can't reply to Guests sadly and I want to answer your questions! To the guest who left the latest review- Here is the next chapter!**

 **Thank you for your patience! This chapter: a longer one (meaning more than 1K words), intense violence and attempted rape. Younger viewers be warned! Please review and tell me how I did on this chapter, thanks:)**

* * *

The bartender, Zoë Leona- quietly slid her way through the maze of tables and chairs to where the blondes were sitting. Their heads were close together in conversation and their faces were intent. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to them. Remi was sitting facing slightly away from her, a slender hand gripping the bottle of Amontillado tightly. Upon noticing the bartender, she silenced the talking boy and turned around. Her eyes widened slightly as the bartender approached. The girl had the signature purple hair, a crown and a green uniform of a level seven archer and as Remi could already tell, was several inches shorter than her. The archer quickly turned away from the two before she could be caught staring. Hurrying to the back quarters of the bar, she went into the hall and out a back door.

* * *

"YOU DARE NOT DEFY ME AGAIN!"

The strong figure, under a tree outside gripping a miner by the neck dressed wearing the traditional clothing of a male villager- did not turn around from where he stood, even when the voice of someone speaking urgently met the ears. He was intent on a scuffle with the poor troop, the miner's eyes wide with fear as he struggled in the towering figure's grip.

The figure paused his torture inflection on the miner to finally address the bartender's presence as she walked straight up to them, fingering her bow. "Why do you bother me at such a time, Zoë?"

"It's her. The girl you've always talk bloodily 'bout." She went on, sliding a hand up and down the frame of her bow anxiously. "'Tis her. Blonde-pink haired, violet eyed, tall, slender-"

The figure now turned around, revealing a interest piqued face under a head of red hair. He took off his coat, forgetting about the fleeing barbarian.

"Remi Stane." Marco Atlas breathed through clenched teeth. "That girl my sister Erica betrayed me for."

"Y-yes?"

"It's about time that girl felt real pain."

* * *

"Remi Stane."

She recognized that voice immediately. The taunt, the jeer, the laugh. The insults. Unwrapping her long legs from her bar stool, she stood up to face her childhood enemy.

Marco almost towered over her already gratifying height. At six foot four, he was stocky and well built, boasting in every body part strength beyond compare. He had a head of curly red hair and sharp gray eyes, and a face hardened and marked with years of iron forging and war.

"And we meet again, do we." He began, twisting his hands on a nearby chair. Remi tensed and the white blonde haired boy looked startled.

"Fight me." Remi jumped up from her barstool, shedding her coat. She had no intention to, but that action swayed Marco slightly. Her womanly silhouette being revealed from under her textured coat like that was intoxicating for any man, him of no exception.

The fairly empty bar began to clear out and the bartender locked the doors. She had a feeling about this that wasn't good...

"Lukas Percy Hawking," Remi hissed from the corner of her mouth, "get out NOW."

Luke fumbled with the stools and hurried outside. Remi never used his full name unless she was in a life or death situation.

Once the bar was locked, Remi turned back to her enemy, awaiting a tirade of insults in the face.

For the first few seconds, he only stared at her. It had been years since they had met last, and he could barely believe how much she had changed since then. Calling her an hourglass figure was an understatement... Her chest was so curvy and inviting... And those legs. Long, tan, and slender. Her face steely and undeniably beautiful... He was suddenly so lost in her, when her fist finally cracked against his jaw he almost didn't feel it. All those years he had bullied her, put her down, and now he almost regretted that. He was jealous of her leader power, something he could never be equal to.

Running his hand over where she had cracked her fist against, he easily grabbed her by the neck and resisted her forms of defense, slamming her against the wall by her neck. Remi was gasping for air, but her face was still set like cement. "L-let me go, coward." She hissed against his much stronger grip. All those years he had spent in the advanced fighting classes paid off. Her hands clawed at his but with no avail.

"What do you want, Atlas?" She demanded angrily, trying to buy herself time. "My power? My wealth? My skill in battle?"

He slammed her on the bar floor before trapping her under him with his forearm, forcing her into submission of his wicked glare before replying.

"I've wanted those qualities from you, Stane," he replied. "But I've wanted something else. Something… Better."

He drew a short and sharp dagger from a hidden scabbard under his coat and aimed it at her threateningly.

"Don't move. A. Muscle." He snarled at her. "Or I will stab you till you beg for death." He loosened her from his grasp and backed off to the bar counter. Reaching into the same spell drawer Zoë had reached in before, he drew out a fat squarish bottle filled with icy blue substance. Snowflakes and ice riddled the glass of the bottle and churned around slowly. He turned around to chuck the bottle at Remi, but the second he laid his eyes back on her, she was on top of him, shoving him down to the bar counter as she gave him in return beatings of a lifetime. Kicks, punches and jabs flew mercilessly from everywhere those hands and feet could reach, spiraling out of control as her anger reached it's highest pitch. Lashing her hands to his neck, she pushed his head down and screamed into his face.

"I HATE you! Don't you ever even start to think I will ever forgive you for the pain you caused me all those years-" Her diatribe was cut short when she was suddenly aware of a sharp kick in the stomach and leaping off her, switching their positions completely. Now Remi was underneath him again.

"I didn't just come here to fight you, little girl." He taunted.

She spat at his face, and suddenly she couldn't move a muscle. He had dropped a freeze spell on her. With a jolt, she realized his hands were running freely on her body, and she was helpless to stop him. He slid his hands down her stomach and slender legs, cackling at her in the process.

"Just watching your eyes struggle like that…"

Remi was in full alert. She was trying with all her might to move, but the icy magic of the spell kept her frozen on the spot. She tried to will it to melt, but nothing happened. She wanted to scream so badly when he began to strip her off her clothing, running his hands in places she would never allow him…

In desperation to keep herself, she raised her flashing violet eyes to the ceiling, a silent plea in them. She pleaded with the gods to spare herself… To save herself...

"I will take you right here and now, Remi Stane." He huffed next to her ear, breathing intensifying. "This is what real pain feels like-"

As a answer from the gods, the spell timed out.

Her body was released from the control of the icy magic and Remi tried to wiggle out from under him- when all of a sudden a spearing pain erupted in her lower abdomen, causing her newly released vocal cords to nearly explode with the impending scream.

That sneaky b*tch. He had stabbed her with the dagger, using only his knee to drive the blade deep inside her abdomen when she least expected it.

Her vision went white with pain as the wound in her stomach gushed blood, every atom of her rocketed with this horribly flaming sensation. She slid the rest off the way off from under Marco and collapsed on the ground, panting and muttering in half consciousness, hands clawing uncertainly at her profusely bleeding stomach and mind trying to process what had just happened. Half of her was fighting it, but the other half was submitting. Out of all the injuries and torments she had sustained, stabbing had NEVER been one of them.

Marco towered over her fetal position, chuckling evilly as he watched her crazed eyes searching for help. He leaned close to her face till it was all her fogged eyes could see. "Looks like you moved MORE than a muscle, Stane."

"F-fuc...k..." She swore at him. The pain was new. Dominating. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but only half a scream left her mouth before a hand slammed over her lips.

"I have defeated you, Remi Stane. Now you lie and wait in pain until death calls and ends this agony." He whispered in her ear menacingly. "Good riddance, Remi- GAHHHHH!"

Marco was thrown to the side, a black arrow buried deep in his right leg. In a haze, Remi looked up to see Zoë crouching by the door with her bow in trembling hands, an arrow locked into place.

But she was not the one who fired. Behind her stood a taller figure with jet black hair, tanned skin and a blood red cloak, a modified X-bow in his strong hands.

* * *

 **Wow… I can't believe I actually wrote this. I worked REALLLY hard on this chapter which is why it took so long. Probably one of the most intense and graphic chapters I have ever written. Well, I hope I did pretty good! Please tell me how I did in the comments! Thank you guys and I will see you next time.**

 **-Ari**


	11. Chapter 11

Spoiler alert: There's not really any "girl gets saved by potential love interest" scene. Well, not really. Hehe.

* * *

"J-Jules?" She barely had time to choke out his name before the hallucinations continued. The carefully poised Jules wasn't there, neither was Zoë. She squinted at the wall where they were standing, but there was clearly not a soul there. They were just figments of her confused imagination, the aftermath of the stab she had taken. The dagger must have been enchanted with a delusional poison.

A smirking Freydis fluttered by, followed by the stone faced second-in-command Erica, carrying a scroll. They both vaporized to nothingness. Different figures wavered in and out of her cloudy vision- troops, fellow comrades, enemies, a younger version of herself, and a blood red cloak that always seemed just out of her vision. A turn of her tired head, and a hunched figure with a black arrow speared into his leg lay not seven feet from her. Marco Atlas lay gasping in pain a few feet away, his vile cursing showing he was the only one actually there. Remi was confused. Who had shot Marco then? And what was causing the hallucinations?

All of a sudden, a loud crack startled her mind to reality as a weathered barstool crashed into Marco and he yelled as new pain registered in his head. Willing him to shut up, she imagined another arrow to plunge in his leg-

Remi realized, with a jolt she was the one hitting him. Her mind, working in a fuzzy overdrive was moving objects on its own to protect her. She imagined a table leg yank off a table, and it easily flew off, the table crashing onto the weathered floors barely a yard from Marco's punctured leg. She visualized it smashing on the floor, and it did.

A memory flooded her barely conscious vision- a head of perfectly brushed jet black hair, strong hands, golden drops of relief. _Golden drops of relief._ An imaginary Jules held out a bottle. _Remember this?_

Trying to ignore the unwavering pain in her lower abdomen and trying to push away the heavy guilt of what she was going to do, she focused on the spell cabinet by the counter. She visualized the cabinet door popping open and a glowing yellow bottle of liquid falling out and thudding onto the floor. Blood pooled around her fast. The bottle was hurtled over the counter and landed within range of her shaking hand. Her vision was tinged with black... Black was closing in. Her willpower was slowly crumbling, pain and fear of death her new master.

Using the last of her strength, she cursed herself before uncorking the bottle and with her fingers shaking so bad she could barely hold the vial, and emptied the contents all over her torso. The healing spell soaked her abdomen, a soothing golden liquid dripping into every crevice of her skin and banishing the white hot pain. _Forgive me, commander._

 _You said you'd never touch a healing spell as long as you lived._

 _I was wrong._

It saturated her, the pain melting into a soothing warmth, than to normal body temperature. She laid there for seconds to catch her breath, and to her surprise, she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. What Marco was about to do... Was simply horrifying. He was going to take her, and then _kill her._ Or maybe the other way around. She had heard of freshly killed bodies being-

She stood up slowly, and flinched as the dagger that had just been embedded in her abdomen clattered to the floor with a metallic thud. She stared at the weapon in a mixture of horror and anger. The leather wrapped and skull inlaid hilt was gleaming with sweat, and the once silver blade was still wet and coated with blood. _Her_ blood. Trying to distract herself from the thought, she spotted a modified X-bow leaning against the wall, complete with three arrows.

"RREMI!" Marco roared, seeing her stand up perfectly well. He rolled over to face her, yanked the black arrow from his leg and screamed in pain. He stood up shakily and with a skilled hand, beamed the arrow at her. She only had enough time to dodge it before it sliced right into her hair, a mere inch from her skull.

Remi dove to the right, grabbed the X-bow, and locked an arrow into firing place. "Don't you move a muscle, _Stane."_ She said mockingly in an imitation of Marco's voice. Keeping the bow trained on him, she calmly walked over to the spell cabinet, picked up a freeze spell, and chucked it in his direction. The bottle shattered, and the ice expanded and froze Marco into place before he could move. She turned back to him one last time. "How about you never move a muscle again, _Atlas."_ She let loose one arrow slice the air, dropped the bow, and for the first time in her life abandoned a fight and ran out of the bar until her legs could carry her no more.

Alyce found her mistress hunched over in a field of grass at the edge of the battle arena, staring at the blade of her sword like she was seeing the future on the blade. Shoving open the large wooden door that sealed the fate of countless troops, she exited the arena and crept toward Remi. The sound of training barbarians, the cackle of goblins, and the thwack of the archer's arrows faded behind her as her feet trekked across the grass.

She waited a few seconds nervously before speaking, twisting the skirt of her villagers' outfit in her hands. "Your- your majesty? Are you all right?" She braced herself in case Remi decided to lash out at her.

Remi did not speak, but sheathed her sword. Without facing Alyce, she began to walk back to her living quarters in the village. "Clear my schedule for tonight, Alyce." She said. "I need to prepare for tomorrow's trial." She paused for a second, and then turned back to her. Her face was full of unwritten sorrow, fear even. "Thank you, Alyce." She said with a slight tone of warmness in her voice. "You are dismissed."

All Alyce did was stare as her mistress disappeared into the arena, shocked of what just happened. Did Remi just thank her?

But Remi ran opposite her living quarters, past her arena, past her village, and sprinted down the forest path to a certain village she had been to only yesterday. Seeing the master of the village, she ran up to him, and hugged him tightly in her shaking arms.

* * *

 **I'll do all grammatical corrections and everything later. I just wanted to get this chapter done so you guys wouldn't have to wait so long. Summer has been busy:) Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Remi..." He chided softly as she clung to him tightly like a small child reunited with her mother. She looked like no warrior right now. She looked young and fragile and scared. He had to remind himself she was only seventeen and already the ruler of her whole kingdom, hundreds of responsibilities and duties depending on her solely. He carefully looked around his village to make sure no one watching, than laid an arm around Remi's shoulders and gently led her inside his living quarters in his town hall. He sat her down on his bed, a twin sized one set against the wall next to a shelf of books and a nightstand before lifting her face to meet his.

"Remi. What happened?" He asked softly, raising his calm eyes to lock with her frightened ones.

"The spell you used on me for the battle... To win over me... You didn't know the potency and strength of the spell, didn't you?" She asked, curling into herself fearfully.

"What do you mean?" Jules asked, confused. The battle was days ago. How had the potion not worn off yet?

She quickly grabbed both of his hands in hers and leaned in. "You don't know what it made me capable of. I can move things with my mind. It's working in me in ways I've never known of."

"What?!" Jules was bewildered. He glanced down at their holding hands nervously.

"It might have made me delusional and confused, yes- but there was hidden power in it too I can't comprehend. From the great wizards themselves." To prove herself, Remi snatched her hands from Jules' and glanced around the room. Her eyes settled on a thick red volume resting on the nightstand and she willed it, to fall open on the ground. A resounding thump and a gasp confirmed what happened.

"Wow..." Jules could not contain his amazement as he walked foward to retrieve the book. He looked it all over and saw no sign it had been touched. Remi closed her eyes and several items in the room began to shift. The chair by a desk moved inwards, a pen lifted and scrawled on a nearby piece of paper.

After watching this for a few seconds, Jules sat back down besides the shaking Remi on his bed. He bravely took one of her hands in his and was surprised when she didn't slap him across the face. Instead, Remi took a deep breath and turned to look at him, the fear returning. "I want to thank you. Because without that spell you gave me..." She drifted off into thought.

"Go on." He said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"It was my enemy, Marco Atlas." She shuddered. "He found me at a bar, I challenged him to a fight. He threw me on the ground, and almost raped me- warning me not to move a muscle. Unrelenting, I tried to get away, and he drove a dagger into my stomach. The pain blinded me till I healed myself with a spell."

"You said you'd never touch one as long as you lived." He said accusingly.

"I was wrong." Her voice soft and surrendering.

Silence stretched between the two of them as Remi's words hung in the air. Finally a snort from Remi broke the silence. "Funny how I find comfort in a male just after I was nearly killed by one."

"And?"

She recounted the whole story, from her impulsive object moving to Marco to her escape. When she finished, Remi drew her legs in towards herself and let out a shuddery sigh, leaning on the bedroom wall.

"No one saved me back there at the bar, Jules. Not you, not my servants, not my comrades. I saved myself. But in a way, I felt like you saved me too. Let's just say I wouldn't be here, right now, if it wasn't for you- not for the spell you gave me. You thought," her eyes flashed with accusation and slight humor- "that it would harm me, but it helped me. It's with me now forever."

Before Jules knew what was happening, she had tackled him in a bear hug, pushing him down on the bed. It took a few seconds for Jules to realize she was crying, tears streaming out her vivid violet eyes and down her flushed cheeks. Out of fear, pain, relief, he didn't know. He silently held her to his chest as she released all those pent up emotions that had been bottled up in her unrelenting and shielded body for years.

"What happened to Marco?" He asked after a minute, feeling like that would make the situation worse- but at the same time curious.

"I k-killed him. I think. I shot him with an X-Bow and ran." She said this almost casually, and Jules figured uncomfortably she probably killed a lot. "I'm all right, I'm all right." She tried to reassure him.

A pounding on his bedroom door shot him out of his bed with a silencing glare at Remi. He leaned as far out as he could to prevent suspicion. The messenger stood there at the door, looking windblown. "Master Jules," he said. "The trial set for you and Remi Stane is cancelled. Further investigation has led that Marco Atlas is the confirmed suspect." He handed Jules a folder. "All the information is inside."

"Thank you." Jules breathed. Turning to Remi, he smiled. "Well, looks like your worst enemy has been convicted of looting several bases and destroying alliances and all those crimes, Remi."

Gently placing the folder on his nightstand, he gazed at Remi, who was thinking hard. He expected to see her jumping up and down with joy, but no.

"You finally realized it wasn't me. You all finally realized that." She rolled her eyes. Jules was surprised of how calm she was. She had just been lifted a death penalty.

He saw traces of a smile on her lips and her blonde hair slightly messed on one side. She stood up to equalize their heights, looking directly into his eyes. Jules found himself enjoying the fact she was the exact same height as him. Not dominating or submissive, just right.

"You look beautiful when you smile, Remi." He laughed slightly wistfully. "You should smile more."

That earned the slap across the face. He recoiled slightly from the blow, laughing. "That was a compliment!"

The humorous mood melted when Remi's laugh turned to a frightened look. "I'm afraid, Jules." She said. "I'm afraid of my capability to do such things like that." She turned to the wall, running her hands through her hair and taking a deep breath. The scent of her hair drifted over to Jules, and he inhaled before responding.

"I'll take you to see the sorcerer who created all this madness."

...

Next chapter will be very clash centered. Thank you for reading and being patient with me:)


	13. Chapter 13

The sorcerer was leaned over a large black cauldron, stirring the glowing blue concoction with a long wooden spoon, surrounded by neat shelves of glass vials and bottles, colorful spells and mixtures, ingredients, and corked bottles ready for use. The deft hands measured out ingredients to the right portion, than poured them into the cauldron. Ivory Cave was well at work again brewing up magic.

Remi watched with a mixture of fascination and interest as she entered the dimly lit room. It was a small bubble of space nestled in the walls of Jules's Arena that served as the spell brewery for battles. As she shut the door with Jules behind her, the cry and shouts of battling troops outside faded to a soft muffle behind the solid gray stone door. A few other trained wizards stood around other cauldrons and books, scattered among the room. Jules called out to address the sorcerer, and the person Remi had been dying to meet turned around to see them.

Trichomary eyes. Short brown curls. That familiar, dark skinned face. A signature white-lined dark blue cloak and leather belt of a trainee wizard.

"Freydis?" Remi shouted in disbelief. Her best comrade and friend had caused all this trouble? "You work here?"

Freydis gasped. "Remi?" Indeed they had not seen each other for quite some time, but this time it was different.

Jules stepped forward to approach her- but Remi beat him too it, shoving him so hard he almost collapsed against a shelf full of magic books. "You knew the whole time, didn't you?! You were the one who prepared the potion that failed me to that- that-" she spun around and glared at Jules, thinking of a name to call him, realization unveiling to her.

"-that bastard!" Her braided hair whipped around and smacked her in the side of the cheek, but she didn't notice. "You two have been teaming up to overthrow me, have you?"

The other wizards were now watching them, looking for Freydis' reaction. Freydis took a deep breath and put her hands up in surrender. "We- or he wasn't trying to overthrow you, Remi. We simply wanted to knock down your pride a few notches."

"W-what?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Freydis plunged on, laying down her hands again. "All these years, you grew from a scared little girl in the barracks to who you are now! The prideful queen who will not bend to anyone! The one so cruel she deems punishment without a second thought! The one so daring and hideable, she will not stop and listen for advice!"

"What does that have to do with this?" Remi demanded angrily, gripping a sheaf of nearby parchment in her fingers so tightly it started to tear.

Jules cut in. "I've been observing you closely. You act out of instinct and pride. And you are yet to find out pride comes before a fall. I hoped the potion- a complicated mix of love, failure, and confusion would change you."

"How did you even get it in my body?" Remi asked, watching the spell that had caused so much drama in her life.

"You don't need to know that." Freydis answered quickly. Her eyes widened as Remi threw herself at her comrade, sweeping her legs out from under her and pinning her to the ground, their faces inches apart.

"I said-" Remi hissed out from between gritted teeth, "how did you get it into me?!" Freydis did not answer, but stared into her eyes, triochomary meeting deep violet. A deep ache accompanied with a sharp, searing pain in her neck answered the question.

"Syringe..." Remi mumbled to herself before she collapsed, her body paralyzed but mind still conscious. Jules dragged her off Freydis and continued talking. "In sixty seconds, this spell will wear off. And then we will battle again. Not a single illegal potion will be used against any of us." He turned around and walked out quietly, and Freydis followed without a single word.

Remi lay on the stone floor, numb. Her comrade of so many years, the one who had befriended her when they first met as children starting in the training barracks, who had watched her change- hardened by the frequent abuse in the barracks- from a giggly little girl to a serious remorseless warrior, who had stood by as Remi battled her way to the top of the Arenas and had achieved the highest leagues and was crowned queen was just like that- gone.

When the sixty seconds were up, she dragged herself off the ground and walked outside. Jules was already at the opposite side, shouting down to his troops. Remi climbed the top her queen tower and nodded to the snipers on the point towers. Her troops assembled beneath her, and Remi began to give out instructions. Valkyrie and elite barbarians to the tower, a zap at hand. Goblin barrel next, use splash troops as needed. The troops assembled and the jingle played as the battle started.

Remi pushed and would not relent. All her other thoughts disappeared from her head as she shouted out instructions, laying down spells with deadly accuracy, defending without a glance, and not once sparing a glance at Jules.

She pounded his point tower relentlessly, angrily, furiously. Dropping a full lightning spell on the tower, it crumbled and Remi did not waste a second to celebrate, she simply turned to the next tower and repeated the process. She hurled a cannonball at an approaching archer, and it sank into her stomach and slamming her back several feet. A valkyrie's fast flying ax quickly disintegrated her, but not before a sharp scream of pain was heard. The minutes honed down to seconds, and as fast as Remi was attacking his tower, Jules defended it faster. Remi couldn't help but admire his skill. He was as good as she was, but not quite.

His weakness was weakness itself. Remi noticed he tended to focus all his attention on the weaker tower, leaving the other one completely exposed. Thinking it thoroughly, Remi launched the elite barbarians at his weak King tower, and Jules quickly defended it. Him distracted, Remi sent out the rest of her troops to his other point tower, her final push. Caught off guard and drained of elixir, with five seconds left in the battle, Jules barely realized his tower had simply deteriorated and he had lost.

Remi did not even stay to taunt or tease. Instead, she smirked and waited for Jules to acknowledge her undefeatable skill.

So the final revelation to Remi that Jules and Freydis had been plotting against her. Review, thanks! I'm nearing the end of the story, wrapping up with a few more chapters. I'm surprised you stuck in so long here! See you in the next!

-Ari


	14. Chapter 14 (last chapter)

The familiar bubbling of a cauldron heightened her senses as she stirred. Sitting up, she realized she was tucked neatly into a little alcove bed surrounded by gold trimmed purple curtains and two bookshelves. The arena, Jules, and Freydis were no where to be seen. With a jolt, she realized there had been no battle. There had been no victory. The syringe Jules had inserted into her was a simulation based on her deep desires to defeat him. She stared down at her body. Nothing was different except for a minuscule pain on the back of her neck were the needle had gone in. Pushing the covers off her, she examined the spell cave more closely. It was full of book shelves, dusty and swept, old and new, ancient and modern all mixed together in a single stone cave half the size of her town hall. In the center of it all like a masterpiece heightened by decoration was a gold polished cauldron filled with charged glowing blue potion that crackled and snapped with electricity. It was a bright and beautiful shade of blue, the bright like a whiff of the villagers' cotton candy yet dark like the deep ocean sea. Lighting.

About to turn around and head back, she ran into a slightly taller figure, whiffed to be caught sneaking around.

"Aah!" Remi yelped, surprised. Jules grinned at her, arms crossed.

"Did you enjoy the simulation?"

"Is that what that you put in me?" She asked, looking at the cauldron.

"Love potion."

"Huh?"

Jules replied sarcastically before answering. "It was a simulation potion, Stane! Have you never seen those before? Damn!"

"I haven't." Remi admitted and rolled her eyes at him, observing him again. His blue shirt brought out the color in his eyes, the color of ocean tainted by tumultuous thunderclouds. She laughed again, and for a minute they stood watching the potion bubble in the cauldron.

"Do you realize something new?" He asked softly.

"No... What?" Remi replied.

"You don't want to beat me in battle anymore, don't you?" He ran his hand through his black hair, awaiting response from the confused blonde.

Remi shifted her gaze from the potion to his face. She realized he was right. Her deep desire to revenge Jules and ravage him of all his pride was gone. She wasn't even mad at him in the least. She just felt... Humble. Content. Satisfied with what she had.

"I carefully evaluated you in the time we knew each other. You're a very strategic warrior, you know."

Remi plucked the bow of a stray archer's arrow. "Sure."

"Took what I got and made the syringe. It took several weeks and was the most complicated thing ever. Took the whole crew of wizards just to make it." He continued.

"Wow." Was all Remi said. "You were really determined to help me, weren't you?"

For once Jules was at a loss for words. He looked from one corner of the room to the next before answering.

"Remi, I've known you since my last year in the barracks. I've never been about to befriend you and now it's probably too late. But it wasn't just that. Since we finished our barracks training to head into the Clash world, I've had strong feelings for you."

"What?" Remi asked, bewildered. She couldn't wrap her mind around that.

Jules shrugged. "I just wanted to prove about how much I cared about you."

Remi smiled. "You did prove yourself. Thank you."

"I hope that power doesn't get to your head again." Jules said.

"It won't." Her smile was for once, sincere as she turned to leave.

"Thanks."

"One more thing-" Remi turned around. "I don't have the same feelings for you."

"It's alright."

Seven months later...

Remi, of course, had began falling for the dark haired man ever since she had discovered his feelings for her. It felt like true love she had heard the villagers gossiping about in her village. Immersive, deep, imaginative, and wildly exciting. She was distracted by him in clan meetings, battles, and restless nights of sleep. She still had snaps of overconfidence and pride but she in whole had changed. One day, in her card shop Remi had been sorting cards for battle. Ice wizard, zap, skeleton army were thrown around with skilled fingers. She was hardly surprised when Alyce came in the wooden shack, bearing a message. Her face was white.

"The village is under attack, Remi."

"Gods," Remi muttered. "What happened?"

"Five masters from a distant clan came and are ambushing us. Town hall eleven."

"How the hell? Five at a time?" Remi stood up and raced out the door, down the path from the edge of the Royale arena that led straight to her Clash village. Five times the usual amount of troops had raged her village to fiery explosions. Horrifyingly maxed troops towered over both of them. An unfamiliar clan banner was raised high over her village, signaling victory.

A purple haired archer crowned in a full gold tiara with arrows deadlier than Remi had ever seen in real life ran towards them, bow poised. "You must be Remi Stane!" She screamed.

Remi yelped as the archer released the arrow, sending it whistling through the air. The glowing poisoned tip caught Remi's eye. Just as fast, Alyce threw herself in front of her mistress, the arrow catching her instead. Alyce thumped to the ground, the poison killing her immediately.

"Alyce!" Remi cried, watching her former servant disappear in a splash of elixir. Bigger was her shock when the troops began to surround her, hog riders, archers, giants, minions.

An archer queen shoved her way through them, triple arrows pointed at Remi's chest.

But see this as an opportunity. Start new. No one will remember the sins you commited in the past. A fresh page. Sometimes being happy is giving up.

Her power and pride were still with her every day, reflecting on her advanced levels and unbeatable streaks, her village and the fear the servants still looked at her with. The mockings from her opponents. Remi was sick of being the old her.

Remi nodded to herself at his encouragement. Turning to the archer queen, she surrendered and let everything she had worked so hard for fall to the hands of the enemy.

Jules was waiting for her patiently at his village. Remi did not hesitate to throw her arms around him with gratitude. "I'm done with being queen. It's exhausting and honestly it made me such a horrible person."

"What are you going to do then?" Jules questioned, smelling her perfume in the crook of her neck. "Run off into the woods?"

"I want to become a scholar. Study troops. Make upgrades and improvements to this world. Not dominate it in fear? Sound like a good idea?" She stepped out of the hug and smiled.

"Why not?" Jules agreed. "Maybe you'll even agree to love me."

"Nice try." She smirked.

They next day, Remi packed up all her personal belongings and surrendered her village and arena to anyone who would take it. Stress evaporated from her face, she stood taller now at five foot eleven, smiled more, and no longer felt the urge to snap when touched.

Settling in a lower life as a troop developer and living in rather envious quarters in Jules' village, she felt content. Although pangs of longing for the past resurfaced every now and then, they slowly decreased. She was happy at least, a different happy.

 ** _Epilogue: The two elite barbarians retreat back into the castle after the attack. The leader, a tall woman with pink blonde hair congratulates them on the victory and the slightly taller one with black hair smiles at her. Some things didn't need power or pride, just a open and happy heart._**

 ** _The end..._**

 **Last chapter ever guys. Finally done with this fanfiction! Thanks for sticking through and all the reviews and everything. It feels like just yesterday I published the first chapter! Anyways, happy clashing everybody and I might see you next time! :D**


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